by Ari McKay
“I’m sure he didn’t.” Julian tried to keep a rein on his temper, but the words came out harsher than he’d planned. He took a deep breath before continuing; it wouldn’t do to alienate Thomas, and it was likely he had loved his grandfather, no matter what the old bastard had done. “It’s obvious your grandfather didn’t tell you about me, or about himself, your parents, or even what you truly are. I know you don’t have any reason to believe me, but he’s left you vulnerable. We couldn’t get to the farm before today because he had the local witch coven put protective spells around it that kept paranormal creatures out. Not just the good guys either, but also demons and every other supernatural entity, according to one of the witches who helped cast them. The spells have to be renewed every year, but since Micah died and Brianna, the head of the coven, had no contact from anyone else, they’re now gone. Which is part of why we’re here… and if we can get in, anything can. Even things that would want to kill you just because you’re descended from an angel.”
“I’m what now?” The way Thomas boggled at Julian would have been amusing had the situation been less serious. As it was, Arden seemed to be hiding a smile behind his hand.
There was one sure way to prove it to him, and Julian hoped Thomas’s curiosity would overcome any wariness. “We can show you,” he said. “I left my SUV out past the tree line, since we weren’t sure if there might be additional protections around the house and I didn’t want us to end up as a splatter of blood all over my car.”
Arden smiled in encouragement. “We have something that belongs to you. Micah gave it to us two years ago, when we came to him to ask for help. He wouldn’t lift a finger to do what should have been his duty, but at least he gave us something that enabled us to get the upper hand for the moment.”
Thomas watched Julian a moment longer, then hefted the axe in both hands. A flare of alarm shot through Julian at the thought that Thomas was about to take a swing at them, but instead Thomas brought the axe down on a nearby stump and left it embedded there.
“Let’s go,” he said.
Julian stared for a moment in disbelief, but then he looked at Arden, who shrugged and turned to head back to the SUV. Julian followed, and as Thomas drew nearer—keeping a polite distance but not a suspicious one—Julian caught his scent, one of sweat and salt and clean, healthy male. A vampire’s olfactory sense was almost as good as that of werewolves, and to Julian, Thomas smelled wonderful.
Damn it.
Determined to keep his attention on the matters at hand, and not on the fact that he hadn’t had a lover in well over a year, Julian led them the short distance to his vehicle. He went to the passenger side and opened the door, then reached into the glove compartment to retrieve the long, narrow wooden box Micah had given them two years before. Julian held out the box to Thomas, hoping he was doing the right thing.
“This is yours by right, but I would be remiss to not tell you that we might need it again,” he said, watching Thomas’s face closely.
“I’m sure we will,” Arden murmured. He looked a little worried, as though giving Thomas the box might mean they’d never get it back.
“I remember this box.” Thomas took it from Julian and ran his hand across the top of it. “I’d never seen it before that day. Grandpa went up to the attic, then came down with it. He looked so strange, I was worried about him. He was jittery for days after that.” He lifted his gaze from the box to meet Julian’s. “What’s in it?”
“A feather.” Julian ached for the sadness and obvious confusion in Thomas’s eyes. There was also worry, and Julian couldn’t blame him. Thomas must have lived his whole life in the bubble of Micah’s grief, and any sane being would be concerned about what he faced now that the bubble had popped. “A feather from the wing of your ancestor.”
Thomas shot a dubious look at Julian, but he pried up the hinged lid of the box to reveal the pristine white feather lying within, radiating a soft glow. He gave a little start, his eyes growing wide, as if just looking at the feather had caused some kind of reaction.
“An angel, you said?” He touched the feather lightly with his forefinger—then let out a startled yelp and nearly dropped the box. “What was that?”
Julian watched with interest. He’d never seen any of the Carters use the feather, since apparently none of the cases Julian had helped them deal with had warranted using it. “It’s very powerful in the hands of any regular person. I imagine for you it might be something rather extraordinary.”
“But what does it do?” Thomas snapped the lid closed, regarding the box dubiously.
“It can cast demons out of possessed hosts, and I’ve seen it banish a very powerful demon who was being summoned back to the abyss,” Arden said. “I used it to remove a glyph. I felt lighter afterward too, as though whatever burden of darkness I had on my soul had been lifted.”
“Vampires, demons, angels….” Thomas shook his head as he held the box out to Julian. “This is…. I don’t even know what to say.”
Julian reached out to take it, surprised that Thomas seemed so disconnected. Maybe he was just in a state of shock, overwhelmed by everything coming at him so quickly. “Look, Thomas… I know this is a lot to take in, but it’s the truth, I swear it. You’re very special, and you have an incredible gift. I’m afraid that unless you learn to use it, you’re going to be in a great deal of danger.”
“I believe you,” Thomas said. “How could I not? You turned into mist right in front of me, and I felt something when I touched that feather. But I don’t understand any of this.”
“It’s a big shock, I’m sure,” Arden said softly. “It might take some time to accept, but you need to be aware of the danger you’re in.”
Julian felt an unaccustomed sympathy for Thomas. “I wish I knew another demon hunter who could explain it.” He paused, frowning as a memory rose to the surface of his mind. “Or maybe I do, in a way. You said Micah went up to the attic for the feather? He might have kept other things as well. I remember your mother and father writing things down in a journal after one of our encounters. They said the Carter family had kept records for centuries of every demon they’d battled. Unless Micah got rid of them, the journals should be able to help you figure things out.”
“I could check,” Thomas said. “I haven’t looked in the attic since Grandpa died. I haven’t had the need to, and….” He glanced away briefly, his features twisting with a flare of anger. “And I haven’t wanted to look at any of his stuff. After he died, I put his things in his bedroom and closed the door because I’ve had disrespectful feelings about him, and I’ve been trying to ignore it all.”
The most charitable thing Julian could say for Micah was that the old man must not have been in his right mind. “You have every right to be angry at him. He denied you your birthright.”
“And left you vulnerable,” Arden added quietly. “I can’t believe he would think that keeping you ignorant would protect you.”
“I didn’t know anything about my birthright or being vulnerable until now, though,” Thomas said. “I was angry because I didn’t realize how much he’d hobbled me until he was gone. He made sure I wasn’t fit to do anything but stay right here and take care of the farm. I’ve thought about leaving, but it was too overwhelming. I didn’t know where to go or what to do when I got there.”
That’s when Julian realized what might really help Thomas, and as he looked at Arden, he saw all of the half-elf’s caretaker tendencies kicking in. “Look, I know you just met us, but would you be willing to come with us to a friend’s house? If you want to leave the farm, there’s no reason that you can’t.” If Arden and Whimsy together couldn’t come up with a plan, then no one could. Julian wasn’t the best at dealing with emotions, and he felt a bit out of his depth with Thomas. He wanted to help, but he had the feeling he might make Thomas more anxious and confused.
“You aren’t trapped here.” Arden laid a hand on Thomas’s arm. “We can show you a lot of options, if you’re interes
ted. There’s a place for you in our world. A place you have a right to, if you want it.”
“I want it,” Thomas said without hesitation. “I’ve been stuck on this farm my whole life. I didn’t even get to go to school like normal kids. I’m ready to see those other options.”
“Good!” Arden grinned like Thomas had given him a present. “You won’t be sorry, I promise. We’ll make sure you have everything you need, and you can decide what you want to do with your life. And we can make sure you’re protected until you’re trained up to take care of yourself. I can’t wait to introduce you to my mate, Eli, and to my best friend, Whimsy, and his husband, Harlan. They’ll be so excited to meet you!”
Thomas’s blue eyes rounded to saucerlike proportions, and for the first time, they saw him smile—a genuine expression of delight. “You’re gay?” He bit his bottom lip before adding hesitantly, “I am too.”
Julian tensed up. It hadn’t occurred to him that Thomas might be gay, and for some reason that made him seem far more dangerous to Julian’s peace of mind. Thomas was a demon hunter, and so much younger than Julian it wasn’t funny. It was one thing for him to admire how hot Thomas was when thinking he was off-limits. Now… it just seemed wrong, somehow.
Arden, however, obviously felt no such reticence. He beamed. “Oh, you’ll fit in with all of us perfectly, then. Julian’s gay too.”
“I’ve never met another gay man before,” Thomas said, a speculative gleam in his eyes as he looked at Julian. “The only reason I even figured it out myself is because I read Maurice when I was sixteen. After that, some of the things I’d read about in the Greek and Roman classics made a lot more sense. I didn’t tell my grandparents, though. Grandpa wouldn’t let me date anyone, regardless of gender, and Grandma always talked about me settling down with a nice girl someday.”
Julian didn’t know what to make of the way Thomas looked at him, and the implication of Thomas’s innocence put him even further out of bounds. “Yes, well, I think we’ve determined your grandparents didn’t prepare you adequately for the life you’ll probably end up leading.” He looked toward the house. “Is there anything you need to get before we go? Any animals we should see to?”
“A shirt,” Thomas said, raising one eyebrow as he made a gesture with one hand that dragged Julian’s attention to his bare chest. “Other than that, I’m ready to go. I’ve already seen to the livestock, so they won’t need anything for the rest of the day.”
“Shirt. Right.” Julian sighed, pulling his gaze away from Thomas’s well-muscled chest. “Here, everybody in, I’ll drive up to the house.”
Thomas looked at Arden and took a couple of steps back, obviously deferring to him. With a little smirk at Julian, Arden ignored the passenger side door and got in the back seat instead, leaving Thomas to sit beside Julian.
Julian had no doubt about what Arden was up to. Not only was Arden his closest friend, they’d been “friends with benefits” for over a century before Arden found his mate. Then last year Julian’s other long-term lover, Whimsy, had found a werewolf of his own, leaving Julian alone for the first time in over a hundred years. Not that this was usually a problem, but Arden and Whimsy seemed to believe it their duty to find someone for Julian, unable to believe he could possibly be happy alone.
Julian started the SUV, then met Arden’s gaze in the rearview mirror. “Very funny,” he murmured, using the Elvish words instead of English, but Arden simply looked smug.
It took only a couple of minutes to make it all the way up to the house. It hadn’t changed much since Julian had last seen it, and he once again felt a pang of guilt for Micah’s death. It was another good reason to keep things with Thomas strictly professional. What was Thomas going to say when he found out that Julian was not only responsible for Micah’s death, but for the deaths of his parents as well?
“I’ll wait here,” he said, putting the car in Park but leaving the engine running. “Take however long you need.”
Thomas opened the door and got out, and then he beckoned to Julian and Arden. “Y’all don’t have to wait out here. I should probably take a shower. I don’t want to meet more new people looking like this and probably smelling like cattle. Come on in. I’ve got some tea in the fridge.” He gave Julian an uncertain look. “Can you eat or drink anything other than blood?”
Arden was already out of the SUV. “He drinks alcohol. And I’ve caught him with the occasional glass of sweet tea he’s tried to pretend was bourbon. I don’t think he wants anyone to know. Thinks it will spoil his image as the sexy, brooding vampire.”
Julian leveled a gaze at his friend that, by rights, should have had Arden bursting into flames. But since there was apparently no justice in the universe, Julian switched the car off and bowed to the inevitable.
“Agreed on the sexy part,” Thomas said, looking Julian up and down. “Don’t know about the brooding part yet.”
Arden had the nerve to chuckle. “Don’t worry. It’s coming. See the way he’s scowling? There’s a first-class brood about to happen.”
Unable to do or say anything that wouldn’t lead to Arden embarrassing him even more, Julian simply raised a brow. “Shall we go inside? I’d like to leave before dark. Just in case those monsters we’ve been hunting for two years decide to attack.”
Thomas led them onto the porch and to the front door, and he held open the screen door. “Make yourselves to home,” he said as he followed them into the house. “I’ll be as quick as I can.”
Julian and Arden took seats on opposite ends of the sofa. Once Thomas was up the stairs, Julian turned to glare at his supposed best friend. “Back it off, pointy ears. I mean it.”
“What?” Arden smirked. “He likes you. You like him. He’s young, he’s hot, he’s a paranormal, and you’re going to have to train him to be a demon hunter. And my father did say the answer would be here on the farm.”
“My sex life definitely wasn’t the question—or did you forget that your father can’t read my future because I’m undead?” Julian sighed. “Look, I appreciate you wanting me to be as revoltingly happy as you and Whimsy are, but not only no, hell no. He’s too young, too innocent, and things are too complicated. Just cut it out. Please.”
“You really mean that.” Arden became serious. “He’s only a couple of years younger than Whimsy, at most. Probably about the age Whimsy was when you took him to bed. You didn’t seem to mind the age difference then.”
“Whimsy is a mage. He was already well established in his powers and certain of who and what he was. And he wasn’t a virgin, if you’ll recall.” Julian tried to keep a growl of annoyance out of his voice. “Thomas didn’t even know vampires existed until twenty minutes ago! I need you to stop pushing Thomas in a direction I have no doubt he doesn’t want to go. Just because I’m the first unattached man he’s met who shares his sexual preference isn’t a good enough reason to push him at me.” All the reasons he could never look at Thomas as anything more than a possible student were clear to Julian. “And don’t get Whimsy going either. Because if you do, I swear by the Most High I’ll lock myself in my home and leave you all to face whatever is coming without me.”
“You wouldn’t!” Arden’s eyes grew wide with dismay. “Julian… we need you!”
“And I need to not be dealing with the kind of complications you seem determined to shove down my throat!” Julian crossed his arms over his chest. “If you want the demons dealt with, and want my help, then you have to promise me you’ll stop.”
Arden was silent for several moments, and Julian knew him well enough to be certain Arden was trying to marshal some counterargument. But he finally sighed.
“Okay, fine.” Arden shook his head. “I think you’re being shortsighted, though.”
“If I am, that’s on me,” Julian replied. He almost sagged in relief that he’d managed to avoid his friend’s matchmaking. Thomas had missed out on a lot of things due to Micah, and all Julian felt obligated to teach him was how to protect himself.
“Damn right it is.” Arden said the words in Elvish, but Julian ignored him.
A few minutes later Thomas came back downstairs wearing clean jeans and a plain gray T-shirt, and his blond curls were still damp from the shower. “Okay, I’m ready.”
If Julian were allowing himself to notice—which he wasn’t—he would have said that Thomas looked just as appealing cleaned up and dressed as he had when shirtless and sweaty. Damn Arden, anyway, for making Julian think about sex in the first place. “Great, let’s go. Arden, when we’re on the road, please call Whimsy and tell him we’re bringing a visitor.”
The ride back to Asheville would be a long one, and Julian planned to make Arden sit up front with him so he could keep an eye on the pesky half-elf and make sure he wasn’t texting Whimsy to plot behind Julian’s back.
Chapter Two
WHEN Julian said they were going to a house where a mage and a werewolf lived, Thomas didn’t know what to expect, but it wasn’t something as normal as this. The house itself was a two-story Victorian style with a white picket fence and a wide front porch with rocking chairs on it. The front lawn was lush green and neatly tended, and the flower beds along the front of the house were bursting with azaleas in colors ranging from white to blush pink.
Inside, there were tasteful antiques without a single iron sconce containing a flickering torch to be seen, and a teakettle on the stove in the kitchen rather than a bubbling cauldron. Whimsy Hickes-Edgewood, the mage, was a dark-haired, slender man who looked as though he had a good bit of Cherokee in his heritage. He stood several inches shorter than Thomas, but the sheer force of his personality swept Thomas from the front door all the way back to the kitchen before he quite realized what was happening.
Now he was seated at the circular kitchen table with Julian and Whimsy along with the two werewolves, Eli Hammond and Harlan Hickes-Edgewood, and Arden Gilmarin, the half-elf. If Thomas didn’t know they were all connected to what Julian called the supernatural community, he never would have guessed they weren’t normal humans. The only one of them who looked at all unusual was Arden with his pointed ears.